Articles of Confederation

1. Articles of Confederation CH 8 Section 1

2. Influences for Government • We were of English decent and of course were going to adopt from the English laws • Magna Carta (1215) • English Bill of Rights (William and Mary) • Both documents provided more political voice to the people

3. Enlightenment Period Government is responsible for protecting the rights of the people Respecting the voice of the people People to be governed Social contract Government responsible for the people People are responsible for obeying laws Paying taxes Voting

4. Failure to comply • If either party breaks the contract they should be denied their rights • The government could deny individuals their rights if they fail to obey laws, pay taxes, etc • The people should refuse to honor a government that does not protect their rights • In fact, the people should overthrow a government that denies individuals their rights and fails at their job

5. Declaration of Independence When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

6. American Influences • The Americans also looked at the accomplishments of colonists such as the town meetings and Virginia House of Burgesses • The native Indians also provided an example of unity for nations • The Mayflower Compact • Fundamental Orders of Connecticut

7. Republicanism • States created governments that used the theory of republicanism • That is they elected representatives to be responsible for the people • The representatives passed laws that were to be enforced • People did not go to the polls and vote on every law being passed as you do not today

8. What is wrong with this system????? • With leaders having the authority to make laws, is it possible for those leaders to gain too much control? • Is it possible that the voice of the people will not be heard? • Why not let the people vote on all issues as you would with a pure democracy? • The reason argued by the founding fathers was that the majority of the people were not educated enough to take on the responsibility of governing

9. How do you protect against powerful leaders? • Limited government- the governmental leaders are subject to the laws of the land • A listing of individual rights that are guaranteed to the citizens of each state were attached to state constitutions • Keep court system out of the hands of the government leaders • Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom: separation of church and state (Thomas Jefferson) • Allowing more than just land owners to vote(suffrage)

10. Articles of Confederation • No power to tax or raise armies • Individual states • Equal representation of states in unicameral Congress • Unanimous consent for Amendments • No Executive • No Court system

11. FEAR OF THE COLONIST • The fear of the colonists led them to create a government that could not govern • The fear of a King and abuses allowed them to create a government without power • The Articles were too weak, too weak, too weak, too weak, too weak, too weak, …..

12. Ratification • In order for the Articles of Confederation to become the new national government all 13 states had to pass it • Many argued over the land that entered after the Treaty of 1763 • They believed that land should be divided and sold for the new central government

14. Land Ordinance of 1785 • 36 square miles for each township • 36 lots per township • Each lot was 640 acres • This money would be used to pay the bills owed to foreign investors

15. Northwest Ordinance of 1787created a political system • When the population reached 60,000 then the territory could draft their own constitution and petition to be admitted as a state • Required that public education be provided to the residents • Slavery was banned in the new territory

16. Problem in the new nation • Trade was important for the nation to grow • In order for trade to continue to grow, nations had to respect the newly formed nation • It was hard for foreign nations to respect a country that did not have the power to raise an army

17. Without an army • Britain did not have to comply with the Treaty of Paris and move out of their forts on the Great Lakes • They remained there and continued to build allies with the Indians and to stir up problems with the Americans

18. Without an army • Spain pushed the country around by closing the New Orleans port • Halting trade down the Mississippi river • Britain closed ports in the West Indies • Britain charged the US high tariffs when US attempted to sell goods to Britain

19. Powers denied to the US government • The national government could not enforce a tariff on Britain • Only states could enforce tariffs • The national government could not regulate trade between the states • The national government could not control the production of money in individual states

20. When states needed money, they simply printed more causing inflation in the economy Inflation: too much money in the system causing prices to go up and value of money to go down Creditors were upset by being paid back with money that did not have the same value as when it was loaned Debtors enjoyed inflation. It allowed them to payback debt with money of less value

21. Shay’s Rebellion CAUSES • Farmers had to pay new taxes • Farmers could not pay their debts • Many farmers were forced to sell their property • Some farmers were sent to debtors prison • Some farmers had to sell themselves as indentured servants • Effects • Closed the Massachusetts Supreme Court • Worried political leaders • Showed the weaknesses of the Confederation government • Increased the call for a new government

22. The Constitution • In 1787 the Constitutional Congress met to revise the Articles of Confederation • 12 states sent delegates to improve the government (Rhode Island did not) • The delegates met without the windows opened as they debated and ironed out the details of the government that was to become the LAW OF THE LAND for the United States of America

23. James Madison was a close friend of Thomas Jefferson and he took copious notes down to the details of who was present during each debate • Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were absent for these debates • Jefferson was in France • Adams in Britain acting as foreign ambassadors • Jefferson forwarded books and suggestions to Madison during the convention

24. COMPROMISE noun - a settlement of differences in which each side makes concessions (gives in a little) to come to a result which solves a problem

25. 3 MAJOR COMPROMISES: 1. GREAT COMPROMISE 2. 3/5 COMPROMISE 3. TRADE COMPROMISE

26. Major debate was over how to set up the legislative branch of government

27. It becomes a battle between smaller states and the ones with larger populations VS

28. Several states submit plans for the type of legislature they want

29. VIRGINIA PLAN 1) The legislative branch would have two houses 2) Both houses would assign representatives based on wealth/population

30. NEW JERSEY PLAN 1) The legislature would have one house 2) Each state would have only one vote in the legislature

31. THE GREAT COMPROMISE

32. GREAT COMPROMISE The legislature would have two houses

33. GREAT COMPROMISE SENATE – number of representatives for each state are equal = 2 senators = 2 senators

34. GREAT COMPROMISE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - based on population = 1 representative (493,000 people) = 52 representatives (38,800,000 people)

35. CONGRESS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES (435) BASED ON POPULATION SO NOT EQUAL FOR EVERY STATE SENATE (100) EVERY DATE HAS EQUAL NUMBER

36. TOTAL NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS FROM EACH STATE

37. THE GREAT COMPRISE VIRGINIA PLAN • 2 houses for legislature • 2) NUMBER of people in congress set by wealth and population SENATE Number of people BASED ON EQUALITY = EACH STATE HAS SAME NUMBER THE LEGISLATURE WILL HAVE 2 HOUSES GREAT COMPROMISE NEW JERSEY PLAN 1) 1 house for legislature 2) Each state would have only one vote in the legislature Number of people BASED ON populations HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Unit 5 – Creating a Government – Page 4 of 10

38. Next major issue to be decided is slavery and if slaves should be counted as population

39. NORTH WANTS: Northern states want slaves to not be counted to determine representatives but to be counted for taxes X

40. SOUTH WANTS: X Southern states want slaves to be counted to determine representatives but not for taxes

41. THE 3/5 COMPROMISE: Compromise made was count slaves as 3/5 of a person This is used for taxes and to set up the number of reps in Congress

42. THE CONSTITUTION • Fundamental Principles within the Constitution • POPULAR SOVEIGNTY • Rule with the people’s wishes • came from Declaration of Independence, based on John Locke and Age of Enlightenment • REPUBLICANISM • Elected officials as representatives of the people • FEDERALISM • A strong central government • State governments agree to give up power/authority to Federal government FEDERAL REPUBLIC

43. The Constitution created Congress. It is a group of people elected to make laws for the country. Congress has two parts: The Senate and The House of Representatives. The legislative branch

44. The president, or Chief Executive, is the head of the government. Americans vote every four years for their leader of their democratic society. After elected to serve his/her country, the president lives and works in the White House. The president is in charge of the armed forces. The president works with leaders of other countries. The Executive Branch

45. The Supreme Court is the highest court is the U. S., and is the system of courts to settle questions about the laws. The nine justices can serve for as long as they live, or wish to retire. Each justice is chosen by the president. The Judicial branch

46. THE CONSTITUTION • Fundamental Principles within the Constitution • CHECKS AND BALANCES (give & take) • Bicameralism - laws have to go through both houses • Bicameral - means two house legislature • President checks Congress • President can veto • Congress checks President • congress can override veto • President can't spend or declare war without approval of congress • Judicial decides constitutional

47. Federalist and Antifederalists

48. Antifederalists:people who opposed the Constitution • They felt that the Constitutional Convention should not have created a new government • Too much power to the central government • They were upset because the Constitution did not have a section that guaranteed individual rights (A Bill of Rights).

49. Who were the Antifederalists? debtors small farmers some wealthy people war heroes

50. Anti-Federalist President will have too much power “… In the first place the office of president of the United States appears to me to be clothed with such powers as are dangerous...an elective king…to lay the foundation for a military government, which is the worst of all tyrannies…” - An Old Whig